Safety device for starting-motors.



E. H. MILLER.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR STARTING MOTORS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1913. RENEWED DBO. 16, 1914.

1 1 30,00, Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

FREDERICK 11., MILLER, or wnmnssuae, PEN1\TSYLVANIA,. ASSIGNOR T0 wEs'rIim- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND manurecrunme COMPANY, A CQRPORATION orrENNsm VANIA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR STARTING-MOTORS Application filed June 24, 1913, Serial No. 775,491.

erence to a centrifugally controlled interlock for starting motors.

My invention has for its object to provide 'a device which will protect the gears of a starting motor for an automobile engine by preventing the connection of the motor to the engine shaft when the latter is rotating above a predetermined speed.

In the practice of starting motors for gas engines, it is customary to connect the mo- -tor to the fly wheel of the engine by means of reduction-gear mechanism, the connection being respectively made and broken by the operator before and after starting.

If the gears should be placed in mesh dur ing the operation of the engine and the rotation of the fly-wheel at a high rate of speed, damage to the gears would almost in evitably result. Itis essential, therefore, that a safety device be used, in connection with a mechanism of this character, to prevent the accidental or inadvertent meshing of the gears when the engine is in operation.

In my invention, I propose to use a centrifugally controlled mechanism for rendering the starting pedal or starting shaft inoperative when the engine is operating under its own power.

invention is described in detail, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile equipped with my device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, and Fig; 3 is a View, in section, taken along the line 111*111 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a fragmentary view, in section, of a modified form of my invention.

eferring now to the structure illustrated in the drawings, a chassis or frame 1 of an automobile, having a floor 2,'-a dash-board 3 and a footboard 4: 1S pr0Vlded with a gas en'- gine 5, only a portion of which is shown,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915. Renewed December 16, 1914. Serial No. 877,613.

and an engine shaft 6, upon which is mounted a fiy-wheel 7 having gear teeth 8. A starting motor 9 is supported upon a crank case 10 by means of a bracket 11, and is pro vided with a shaft 12, upon which is slidably keyed, a pinion 13 having an integral grooved collar 14. The pinion 13 is actuated by a yoke member 15, one end of which fits into the grooved collar 14 and the other end of which terminates in a collar 16. The

collar 16 is rigidly attached to a starting' shaft 17 by means of a pin 18 and has a beveled or tapered end 19 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The starting shaft 17 is slidably mounted at one end in a bearing 18- attached to a motor frame 19 and at the other end to an operating lever 20. The lever 20 is pivoted to a lug 21, rigidly attached to the floor 2, and extends through an opening in the footboard 4 to a pedal 22, with which it is provided. A spring 23 extends between the operating lever 20 and the footboard 4:, being connected'thereto and tending to hold the starting mechanism in the normal or non-actuating position. A ring 24 is held in position around the engine shaft 6 by a plurality of weighted bell crank members 25 and is adapted to have'a lateral reciprocatory movement that is responsive to the starting and stopping of the engine. Each of the bell crank members 25, having a weight 26 at the end of its longer arm 27, extends through a slot 28 in a web 29 of the fly wheel 7 and is pivoted to a lug 30 in the web 29. The shorter arm 31 of the bell crank member 25 is connected to the annular ring 24: by a pin-and-slot connection 32 and a. lug 33. Compression springs 34, mounted upon the web 29, tend to force the ring 24:, away from the fly wheel 7 and into engagement with a bell crank 35. The bell crank 35 is pivoted toa stationary bracket 36 that is attached to the dashboard 3 and is Assuming the parts shown in the draw ings to be in the stationary or starting position, the action of the device is as follows: When the operator desires to start the engine, the pedal 22 is pressed forward against the action of the spring 23 to effect engagement of the pinion 13 with the gear 8. The motor 9 is then started by any well known means not shown, to impart rotative movement to the engine shaft 6 through the motor'shaft 12, pinion 13 and gear 8. -When the engine operates under its own power, the operator releases the pedal 22 and the pinion 13 is withdrawn from mesh with the gear 8 by the action of spring2-3. The rotation .of the flywheel 7 causes the bell cranks 25 to be rotated about their pivotal points in a counterclockwise direction by the action of centrifugal force upon the weights 26. This action causes the ring member 24 to be drawn toward the fly wheel 7 to release the bell crank .35. Thus released, the bellcrank permits the locking rod 38 to move into the path of the collar 16 by the action of spring 39. Un-

derthese conditions, it is readily seen that, i

should the operator accidentaly or inadvertently attempt to operate the pedal 22, the collar 16 would come into contact with the locking rod 38 andthereby preventthe pinion 13 from engaging the gear-8 while the latter was running at a high rate? of ,speed and preclude the possibility of stripped gears or damage. 4

Another form of my invention is shown in Fig. 4, similar parts being designated bysimilar reference characters and being substantially the reverse, in action, of the dc vice above described. In place of-a ring, 1 make use of an annular-wedge or cone shaped member 42 which is forced outwardly by centrifugal action,-*the direction of rotation of the bell crank 43 in this case being clockwise. The bell crank 43'is .ed in a bracket 50. A spring 51 is located between the bracket 50 and a 'fixed collaron thelow'er part 47 ofthe locking rod 45 and tends, as in the "case above described, to holdthe rod 45 out of the .path of travel of the collar 16. As the engine'starts, the cone or wedge-shaped member 42 is forced outwardly, the part 38 of the locking'rod 45 rides up the conical surface of the part 42, forcing the whole of the rod 45 compri'sing parts 46, 4-7, 48 and 49 upward until'the part 46 comes within the path of-travel-of the collar 16. The'spring 51 gives flexibility to the interlocking rod 45 and permits withdrawal of the pinion 13 by allowing the beveled collar 16 to slip by on its releasing movement, should the engine attain sufficient speed to operate the interlocking device before the starting pedal is released by the operator.

The devices herein shown and described may, of course, deviate from the design operatively connecting said motor to said' shaft, of meanscontrolled by centrifugal force for preventing the establishment of said operative connection.

2. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a starting motor, and means for operatively connecting said motor to said shaft, of speed-controlled means for prevent ing the establishment of said operative con nection. I

3. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a starting motor, and'means for I operatively connecting said motor to said shaft, of means for preventing the establish ment of said operative connection when the engine shaft rotates above a predetermined speed. v s e 4. The combination with an enginehaving a shaft, a starting motor, and means for operatively connecting said motor to said shaft, of means for preventing the establishment of said operative connection when the engine operates under its own power.

5. The combination with an engine hav ing a shaft, a starting motor, and means for operatively connecting said motor to said.

shaft, of locking means for preventingfthe establishment of said operative connection, and means controlled by centrifugal force for actuating said locking means.

6. The combination with an engine having a shaft, astarting motor, means for operatively connecting said motor vto, said. shaft, of locking means for preventing the establishment of said operative connection,

and speed-controlled means for actuating said locking means. p ,7. The combinationwith an engine having a shaft, a.,starting motor, means for opera-tively connecting said motor to said shaft, oflocking means for preventing the establishment ofsaid operative connection, and means for actuating said locking means when the engine shaft rotates above a predetermined speed.

8. The combination with anengine having a shaft, a starting motor, means for operatively connecting said 'motor' to said shaft, of lockin establishment of said operative connection,

means for preventing the and means for actuating said locking means when the engine operates under its own power. 7

9. The combination with an engine having' a shaft provided with gear wheel, a starting motor having a shaft, a pinion on said shaft, and means for operatively connecting'said pinion to said gear wheel, of means controlled by centrifugal force for preventing the establishment of said operative connection.

10. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft, 2. starting motor having a shaft, a pinion on said shaft, and means for operatively connecting said pinion to said gear wheel, of speed controlled means for preventing the establishment of said operative connection.

11. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft, a starting motor having a shaft, a pinion on said shaft, and means for operatively connecting said pinionto said gear wheel, of means for preventing the establishment of said operative connection when the engine shaft rotates above a predetermined speed.

12. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft, a starting motor having a shaft, a pinion on said shaft, and means for operatively connecting said pinion to said gear wheel, of means for preventing theestablishment of said operative connection when the engine operates under its own power.

13. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a gear wheel on said shaft, a starting motor having a shaft, a pinion on said shaft, of means for shifting said pinion into mesh with said gearwheel, and locking means for engaging said shifting means to prevent the meshing of said pinion with said gear wheel.

14. The combination with an engine having a shaft, a. gear wheel on said shaft, a starting motor, and a pinion operatively connected to said motor, of means for shifting said pinion into mesh withsaid gear wheel, locking means for engaging saidwheel, a locking means for engaging said shifting means, means controlled by centrifugal force for actuating said locln'ng.

means, said actuating means comprising a plurality of bell crank levers pivotally mounted on said gear wheel, one arm of each lever being provided with a weight,'and an annular member operatively connected to the other arm of each of said bell crank levers. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th day of June, 1913.

FREDERICK H. MILLER. Witnesses i J. R. LANGLEY, B. B. HINES. 

